Pele cheated on his wives so often he lost track of how many kids he had

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    Pele, who will forever be remembered for his World Cup heroics with Brazil that saw him lift the tournament a record three times, never claimed to be a saint off the pitch.

    Opening up in a 2021 Netflix documentary regarding his life and career, Pele admitted to having affairs while married and that some of those trysts resulted in the birth of children.

    With the football world in mourning following his passing at the age of 82 on Thursday (December 29) Pele was surrounded by his children, including football coach son Edinho.

    READ MORE: Pele was reason behind 'ceasefire' of war – but gunfire resumed when he flew away

    A year earlier, when asked if he found it hard to remain faithful, Pele replied: "In all honesty it was. I’ve had a few affairs, some of which resulted in children.

    "But I only learned about them later."

    He added: "My first wife, my first girlfriend, knew all about it. I never lied to anyone."

    Where does Pele rank on your list of greatest strikers in history? Tell us in the comments section below.

    Santos icon Pele has seven recognised children including Edinho, with Kely Nascimento documenting his recent hospital stay using Instagram.

    Pele was married three times during his life, first in 1996 to Rosemeri dos Reis Cholbi with whom he had daughters Kely and Jennifer as well as son Edinho. They divorced in 1982.

    He later married gospel singer Assiria Lemos Seixas, who gave birth to twins Joshua and Celeste in 1996, with Pele also fathering the late Sandra Machado, which was confirmed by a court-ordered DNA test, as well as Flavia with journalist Lenita Kurtz.

    Pele went on to marry for a final time in 2006 to Marcia Aoki, a Japanese-Brazilian importer of medical equipment whom he first met in the 1980s.

    Pele was admitted to the Albert Einstein Hospital in late November and it had been explained his condition had deteriorated by doctors in mid-December.

    The legend had been battling a respiratory infection during his cancer fight in the Sao Paulo hospital, passing away due to multiple organ failure as a complication of colon cancer.

    An official family statement read: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today.

    "On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.

    "His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever."

    Pele's death has led to tributes from footballers around the world including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, with world leaders also paying respects with his funeral to be held at Santos' Vila Belmiro stadium on January 2nd and 3rd.

    READ NEXT:

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    • Pele was first-ever 'ambassador for erectile dysfunction' – but said he never used viagra

    • Pele
    • World Cup

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